Here are a couple of lesser known online sites for the lover of cheap clothes, books, crafts and more, along with a quick personal review of each.
1. Redbubble
This is a site where users can upload their artwork to sell in the form of stickers, pillow cases, phone covers, even tee shirts. When ordering, make sure you know what the sizes are for things. I was pleasantly surprised to see their "small" stickers were larger than I expected, and very useful for decorating my laptop. Also a great variety of designs, you can search for things like quotes or fanart, or just scroll through some of the popular designs and see what sticks out. All items of the same kind are pretty much universally priced, so you won't be shocked at any new price tags.
2. Etsy
This is for the crafter's soul. Etsy is where artists of all varieties sell crafts, whether homemade or altered or just the supplies needed for a craft. You can find pretty much anything here, from fancy masquerade masks to steampunk tophats to handmade boho dresses. Things may get a little pricey, and as this is basically a craft version of Ebay. You might want to check out reviews for the sellers before committing to buying. In my personal experience, all the items lived up to expectation, though again, you want to check the pictures, sizes and reviews of the seller and possibly the item.
3. Thrift Books
This is a great place to buy cheap, new or used books. You can find textbooks here as well, though their biggest flaw is the time it takes to ship the books. I ordered textbooks from here four days before classes and got them two weeks later. Order early if at all possible, But the books here are actually significantly cheaper, especially the textbooks. I spent less than $50 on what would have been a $150 load of books last semester. But do order as soon as humanly possible.
4. Bodyline
This is a store based in Japan that sells costume and cosplay items. Much cheaper than buying or making anything else that I've found, and shipping is free from Japan. They sell items such as wigs, leggings, schoolgirl uniforms and many accessories. But be careful. They don't always package items as carefully as they should. If anything happens to your item via transit they will not refund you completely. The few times I have used them has been overall positive, though I do wish they would restock more often.
5. thredUP
ThredUP is a wonderful store to buy brand clothes much cheaper than you would find them at any store. They are an online thrift store, and like many thrift stores, they check the quality of their goods before reselling them. Their search tools make finding clothes that fit and look good easy. You can search for different garments, colors, brands and price. The clothes come in a timely manner, and well packaged. Plus they have a send-back policy that allows you to return the package within fourteen days if the clothes don't fit. A very helpful website, and very lovely clothes.
6. Banggood
The target of online shopping, this store has all sorts of odds and ends. You can search for items or follow the category tags. It's very simple and easy, and they frequently have sales on specific items. I haven't used this site as much, though items have gotten in within seven or eight business days for me.
While I have used each of these websites, I am obligated to say that you should always be careful when shopping online no matter what the source. While nothing happened to me, use caution whenever you use online shopping anywhere. I was referred to each of these sites by friends but I made sure to check the reviews on each of them before deciding whether to shop there or not. Safe shopping!
